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Victoria Falls - Best Tours & Trips 2019

Victoria Falls – traditionally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (“The Smoke That Thunders”) for its roaring waters and rising mists – is not just one of the world’s great natural wonders, it’s also become Africa’s adventure sports capital. Situated between Zambia and Zimbabwe, it’s included in many guided tours of East and southern Africa, often along with a wildlife safari. With Stride’s help, you can add Victoria Falls to your bucket list – you won’t regret it.

DEPARTURE DATES

Trip Type

Trip TypeClassic Tour Groups are between 25-60 people, typically ~30-40. Usually there will be many opportunities to split off and enjoy meals and excursions in smaller groups. This is the most economical way to travel, saving up to 40% versus booking the same itinerary yourself.Small Group Guided Experiences Small groups are usually defined as between 10 and 24 travelers, often less. If you're the kind of person who enjoys more intimate experiences and personal service this is a good choice. All else being equal you will pay a premium for this style vs a larger group tour.River Cruise These vessels are smaller than most ocean cruisers, limiting which amenties are available. Passenger counts can vary. One of the biggest advantages of a river cruise is the ability to dock at smaller ports and local villages.Small Ocean Cruise Small ship cruises usually have a max passenger count of 500. The primary purpose of these trips is to spend time off the vessel in local ports (e.g. Mediterranean) or experiencing nature (e.g Galapagos or Antarctica). Cabins can vary from budget to luxury.Private Tour Private tours give you the undivided attention of a guide, and often involve special access to sites and unique experiences not available to larger groups. This is a great option for families, couples, and small friend groups. Expect to pay a bit more for the extra service.Independent Package A travel company plans your itinerary and arranges all the logistics including lodging, local activities, and transportantion. You have the flexibility of a solo trip while still getting the convience and time savings of expert planning. Get 90% of the benefits of a tour, without a guide.Vacation / Holiday Package Similar to a self guided tour, this usually involves a home base, such as a hotel or resort, with packaged activities and day tours as a part of the stay.Large Ocean Cruise This is the "floating city" experience, with multiple ways to enjoy your vacation aboard the ship as much as on land. Ships are multiple floors, provide several activities, culinary, and shopping options. They often make fewer stops and have less time available for shore excursions.

Tour Styles

Lodging Level

Lodging LevelCamping Typically involves most nights sleeping in tents (sometimes permanent tented sites) or in rustic cabins and lodges.Basic - 2 star You'll stay in no-frills, but clean and comfortable, hotels or guesthouses. A 'Basic' trip might also involve a few nights of camping.Value - 3 star Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels.Premium - 4 star 3 to 4 star western hotel equivalents. While not all lodging will be 'luxury' they will be quite comfortable by western standards.Luxury - 5 star The highest level of comfort and service. All accomodations are in four or five star hotels, boutique lodges or high-end homestays.

Physical Level

Physical LevelVery Easy Minimal walking - motor vehicles available for all major parts of trip.Easy Normal generally flat walking in urban or suburban environments.Moderate Walking or physical activity half to most of day - no carrying equipment.Strenuous All or most of day hiking or biking, hills included.Extreme Very challenging all day hiking and backpacking carrying significant equipment.

Travellers Age

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An amazing journey
October 2018

This is an amazing journey through different climates as you head due north
into the sun. A stunning landscape which is continuously changing plus
amazing encounters with animals and birds in the parks. Even in our tents at
night we were entertained by the sounds of elephants, hippos and night jars
and in Victoria Falls the distant thundering of the falls. Towards the end of
the trip you can also engage with locals.
There were so many inspirational moments. Standing on top of the Big Daddy
Dune, rhinos illuminated by a waterhole at night, elephants playing in water,
the best apple crumble in the middle of the desert. A loo with an amazing
view over the Fish River Canyon, Hippos in the night, Vic Falls in the first
light of the morning, Quad biking in the dunes at Swakopmund, birds, birds
and more birds, Helicopter over the Falls,.

Our guides, led by Justin, worked incredibly hard to ensure we could enjoy
the journey.

We were never hungry (Justin was a great cook), we slept well (stretcher beds
with mattresses) and there were frequent comfort breaks even if there were no
facilities only a “bushi bushi “ and the desert does not always have
those! We were with a great bunch of people who were all prepared for the
conditions and developed a good camaraderie.

We took South African Rand with us which was also accepted throughout
Namibia, one for one. In Zimbabwe any currency is accepted as they don’t
have their own. US dollars is easiest . You need USD cash for the border visa
and for anything the guide takes you to as a group, although credit cards are
widely accepted. But we could not obtain cash anywhere, even directly from
the banks.

Optional extras at Victoria Falls not to be missed – afternoon tea at the
Victoria Falls Hotel, really good value with stunning views of the distant
“smoke” from the falls and the sinking sun changing colours, the Outlook
café for snacks and meals with stunning views and the screams of zip liners!
At Vic Falls in late August the Devil’s pool and boiling pot hike were not
available as the water was still too high at 35% of full capacity. There is
so much to do and see here, and you won’t want this trip to end – we
stayed on a couple days at the Vic Falls rest camp.

Our only disappointment was that one of the highlights, as per the trip
notes, had not been booked – the 3 nights inside the national park to see
animals at the waterhole at night time. However, our guide told us about this
en route and a contact direct to Exodus did ensure we had one night at a
waterhole. Something worth confirming in advance as this highlight is not to
be missed. Not only does it mean you can see animals at night but also you
are already well inside the park in the morning to catch early sightings.

This was my seventh Exodus tour. It was a trip with stunning sights--the Cape
of Good Hope and Table Mountain, the dunes of the Namib desert, the
incredible animals of Etosha and Chobe Parks, hippos and crocs along the
Chubango River, the magnificent Victoria Falls. But this trip is not for
those looking for an easy tour. The drives are long and sometimes exhausting.
Tent camping is not for everyone, and there is a lot of it, and the bus for
this particular trip was not appropriate--too small for a group of 16 plus 3
guides and associated equipment with no heat and no ac. Our guides (Andrew,
Skoo, and Innocent) were wonderful--hard working, knowledgeable, and deeply
devoted to our well-being. We also had an amenable group, and that's
important, because we were in fairly close quarters to each other on this
trip.
Seeing four lions come out of the bush toward a waterhole in Etosha Park
teeming with other animals, only to see those animals part like the Red Sea
to make room for their feared predators. Blasting through a stage five rapid
on the lower Zambezi River. Catching magnificent African sunsets.

Andrew was always working very, very hard. He was friendly, tolerant,
incredibly knowledgeable, and devoted to making sure we had the best trip
possible.

A good headlamp is essential as are wet wipes (packed in a ziplock bag to
make sure they don't dry out). In early September, South Africa isn't just
cool, it's COLD, so if you travel at that time, bring a good coat, stocking
hat, and gloves (which are also important for handling the small tent hooks).
Beyond Swakopmund, it gets very hot, so you have to pack for both extremes.
Bring a swim suit--you'll want to use it. Also, be sure to pay extra to take
the open-air 4-wheel-drive game drive in Etosha. It was worth every penny.
Make sure whatever you use for a camera has a LOT of memory--you will take
more photos on this trip than any other. Your sleeping bag must be
comfortable, as you'll spend a lot of time in it. I also brought along an
inflatable pad which helped a great deal, and don't forget a pillow! The
dust/dirt roads in Namibia are often very rough, and you will get bumped
around a lot, but if you want to see some of that country's great sites, and
you will, then you have to put up with its roads!

If the bus has a license plate reading DF-00-CY-GP, and you have more than
ten people in your group, insist on another one, or get ready for a rough
trip.

Operator Exodus Travels

Elephantastic
October 2018

This was an amazing trip covering thousands of kilometres, a plethora of
wildlife and geological features and some insight into some of the cultures
of the countries visited.
I thought it would be the elephants crossing the river at Chobe, or canoeing
on the Zambesi, or Victoria Falls, or seeing giraffes or or or - the list
goes on.
However, the sudden gorgeous orange red glow of the African sunsets will stay
with me forever as will sitting by the waterhole in Etosha and watching the
animals arrive, especially the 40 elephants.

Our guides were Ende - the outgoing, but sensitive, leader anxious to please
us whilst keeping us in check to make sure that we fitted in a very full
itinerary, Andrew who was quietly extraordinarily efficient and always on the
lookout to make sure we were all right, and Innocent whose knowledge of birds
and stars was phenomenal. Their cooking was amazing - don't believe the trip
notes' description of 'basic'. It wasn't long before we felt we were
travelling with knowledgeable friends. Thank you Ende, Andrew and Innocent.

Take a hat, binoculars, anti mosquito spray and keep clothes to a minimum.
Warm sleeping bag, (possibly + liner). Some long journeys, so you might want
a kindle.

Great, though if you are just into wildlife, there may be a better trip for
you.

Operator Exodus Travels

Amazing Southern Africa
October 2018

Full on tour of Namibia, Chobe, Vic Falls and Cape Town which was enjoyed by
my family of 4 , age range 16-53.
Should have taken season 3/4 sleeping bags for the camping as southern
Namibia is cold at night in August!
The hosts Ande Andrew and Innoccent were efficient at running a tight ship.
Chobe National Park at sunset with the birds in their flocks going to roost.
Watering holes in Etosha National Park were phenomenal.At one point there
were at least 40 elephants by the water together with impalas, zebras, eland
and a couple of giraffes,not forgetting various bird species.
Sossusvlei dunes ever phenomenal in Namibia and Deadvlei’s skeleton acacias
very photogenic.
Sunrise and sunsets have left a golden impression of the entire holiday.

Excellent time keeper who has leadership qualities of an army general which
he relaxed once he had sussed out the group.

For the camping trip ensure you take a suitably warm sleeping bag and
clothing . Travel light as there’s a lot of loading and unloading into the
truck.
Soft back packs are ideal.

Operator Exodus Travels

An Amazing and Incredibly diverse Adventure
October 2018

This trip was the ultimate collection of culture, animals and sightseeing.
From metropolitan Cape Town to the beauty and remoteness of Namibia's
deserts and sand dunes, the thrill of game drives and the beauty of Victoria
falls, this trip has it all.
Climbing Dune 45 in a sandstorm or feeling the rain of Victoria Falls
covering you under a lunar rainbow were incredible highlights.

I've been on many group tours and Andrew and Ende have to be some of the best
guides I've ever had. Inspiring, hard working and patient as well as able to
overcome anything Africa and her bumpy roads had to throw at us. These two
were excellent.

TIA. This is Africa. Be open to the fact that this country is incredibly
different from where you might be from and enjoy every part of that
experience. It's a completely different culture and world and embracing that
gives you a one of a kind experience and memories that will last lifetime.

Operator Exodus Travels

Victoria Falls Attractions & Landmarks Guide

Other waterfalls are higher (Angel Falls), wider (Iguazu Falls), and even more famous (Niagara), but Victoria Falls is the largest single curtain of cascading water on earth. The falls form part of the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in south-central Africa and are their premier tourist attraction.

A whole set of adventure-laden activities – ranging from bungee-jumping and whitewater rafting to abseiling and “gorge swinging” -- have blossomed around the falls, the gorges below and the Zambezi River. A wide variety of accommodations, restaurants and shops have also sprung up on both sides of the falls and river, but the ultimate attraction remains the cascades themselves.

The Smoke That Thunders

The deafening roar of the waters and the towering mists that can be seen for miles away led to its traditional name Mosi-oa-Tunya, “the smoke that thunders.” When Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone came upon the cascades in 1855, he named them after Queen Victoria of England, but “the smoke that thunders” still says it best.

The height of the rainy season (March-May) is the time to catch the falls at their most torrential, but the thickness and height of the spray can obscure the views of the falls themselves, and walking on the pathways near the falls can get wet and slippery. The dry season, which peaks in October and November, means the view of the falls from the Zambian side can be disappointing. But in dry season you can reach Livingstone Island below the falls (from Zambia only) and pathways will be less treacherous.

Though you can visit both sides of the falls, you’ll need to go through border formalities crossing from one country to another and pay visa fees (which may or may not be included on your tour). Which side you stay on will affect some aspects of your visit, even if you end up spending some time on both.

Zimbabwe vs. Zambia

Zimbabwe used to be the side to stay on, with its classic colonial-style Victoria Falls Hotel located a short distance from the falls (even if you don’t stay there, you can still drop in for a very British high tea), and better views of the falls in general. But Zimbabwe has had well publicized civil strife under the iron rule of Robert Mugabe, and Zambia has been the beneficiary; it’s attracting an increasing number of tourists, even though Zimbabwe’s town of Victoria Falls has stepped up its police presence and made the area safer.

Both countries offer a range of accommodations from deluxe to simple guest houses, though many on the Zambian side are in the town of Livingstone, several miles from the falls. Victoria Falls is a frequent add-on to wildlife safaris, whether in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Chobe National Park in Botswana (the nearest major game park) or those further afield. You can also take horseback safaris, elephant rides, or even commune with lions.

Whatever your choice of trips, Stride can help you find it – and turn your Victoria Falls fantasies into reality.

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